Gemur Monastery is a

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

gompa A Gompa or Gönpa or Gumba ("Five Breathtaking Gumbas Around Kathmandu", ''OMG Nepal'', https://omgnepal.com/five-breathtaking-gumbas-around-kathmandu/ "remote place", Sanskrit ''araṇya''), also known as ling (, "island"), is a sacred Buddhist ...

, above the village of Gemur,

Lahaul and Spiti district The Lahaul and Spiti district is a high-altitude district in Himachal Pradesh, north India. This entirely mountainous district consists of two geographically distinct as well as formerly separate political-administrative units, called Lahaul ( ...

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

, northern

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The monastery dates from the first half of the 17th century.

Geography

The Gemur Gompa, elevation , is about on foot from Gemur village. Gemur village is located on NH-505 upstream from

Keylong Kyelang (also spelled Keylong) is a town and the administrative centre of the Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, north of Manali via Atal Tunnel and from the Indo-Tibetan border. It is located along the Mana ...

in the

Bhaga River The Chenab River is a major river in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, the Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul region of Himac ...

valley, Lahaul. A rural road off NH-505 between Keylong and Gemur, terminates at the Gompa. This route covers a distance of from Keylong.

History

Lama Tansin Paldan Gemur Gompa Lahaul Oct22 A7C 03507

The Gemur Gompa (monastery) is regarded as a central seat of Tibetan Buddhism in the sTod valley of Lahaul. In religious literature it is also known as ''Dge-smon Gsam-bstan chos-gling''. It is said to be founded by sTagtshang Raspa in the first half of the 17th century. As per the legends and folklore Lama Tanzin Paldan of Gemur village was responsible for its construction with the aid of the Thakurs of Khangsar. Scholars have argued that the Gemur gompa was located at a higher altitude and the present structure was relocated to the lower hill in 1870. The wood work of the temple is credited to Tashi Tamphel. The lamas of Gemur belong to the

Drukpa Kagyu The Drukpa or Drukpa Kagyu () lineage, sometimes called Dugpa in older sources, is a branch of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Kagyu school is one of the Sarma or "New Translation" schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Drukpa lineage wa ...

sect. Lamas were sent from this monastery to the Gompas of Dartse, Chhukutsi, Zong, Khangsar and Photang in Jispa. It is reported that a

Thanka A ''thangka'' (; Tibetan: ཐང་ཀ་; Nepal Bhasa: पौभा) is a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala. Thangkas are traditionally kept unframed and rolled up ...

of a ''Dam-can Jagpa Me-Len'' was stolen from the monastery along with other valuable articles in the 1960s. This is a Tibetan Buddhist painting made on silk cloth and prepared by sewing patches of silk by hand. This used to be displayed during the

Tshechu A tshechu (, literally "tenth day") is any of the annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place. Tshechus are religio ...

festival every year held in the monastery when the

cham dance The cham dance () entry: 'cham. is a lively masked and costumed dance associated with some sects of Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhist festivals. The dance is accompanied by music played by bhikkhu, monks using traditional Tibetan musical instruments ...

was performed.

Architecture and fittings

Prayer_Hall_Gemur_Gompa_Lahaul_Oct20_R16_04265

Marichi Vajravarahi Gemur Gompa Lahaul Oct20 R16 04272

The Gompa contains a sculpture of the goddess 'Marichi Vajravarahi'. The monastery also contains ancient Buddhist miniature paintings, wall paintings, chortens, statues and Buddhist artifacts.

Features

The

Fair is a religious festival celebrated all over the Buddhist Himalayas. This fair is celebrated on different dates at different places. At the Shashur, Gemur, Kyi, Kardang, Tabo and Mane Monasteries it is held in the month of June. The cham, a lively masked and costumed dance, is performed during this festival.

Gallery

File:Info Board Gemur Gompa Lahaul Oct22 A7C 03518.jpg, Info board, Oct '22 File:Gemur Gompa Distant View Lahaul Oct22 A7C 03471.jpg, Distant view, Oct '22 File:Gemur Gompa SW Exterior Lahaul Oct22 R16 06557.jpg, Gemur Gompa exterior, Oct '22 File:Stupa North Gemur Gompa Lahaul Oct22 A7C 03504.jpg, Chorten, Oct '22 File:Stone Inscription Gemur Gompa Lahaul Oct22 A7C 03521.jpg, Stone inscription File:Mural Entrance Right Gemur Gompa Lahaul Oct22 A7C 03506.jpg, Mural inside entrance

References

{{Buddhist monasteries in Himachal Pradesh Buddhist monasteries in Himachal Pradesh Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and temples in India Tibetan Buddhist monasteries Buildings and structures in Lahaul and Spiti district Buddhism in Lahaul and Spiti district